Grateful in Texas

What an eventful year this has been, so many changes for good and bad. The last time I wrote something I had been thinking about myself mostly, focusing on my future and my needs. A lot of "my" and "I" thinking but not very much of anything else. Mind you I feel that we are all entitled to a little bit of that thinking from time to time but sometimes it is difficult to not let it take over. However, today I will not share anything related to politics, groups affected by recent politics, or anything that can lead to negative thoughts. I need a break from the world and its very confusing environment, I will concentrate instead on the positive!

Well, the best news I can possibly share is this:

I HAVE A JOB!!!!!!!!

Wait it gets better! I have a job doing something I actually wanted to do! I know, I told you it only got better. Yes, I am working as a Research Administrator and although it is a steep learning curve - I LOVE IT! It is not the most exciting or glamorous job in the world but it is a change that I wanted and needed in my life. You could call me a glorified paper pusher but after years of dealing with bio-hazardous waste (literally & metaphorically), I'm enjoying wearing something other than bleach-stained jeans. I'm sure that not everyone is nice and that I am bound to have some run-ins with a few "characters" but on the whole I am happy of having an 8-to-5 job. Believe me it is not a small thing to have this type of job because let me tell you that the life of laboratory people is hard work and long hours. The work can be rewarding but the sacrifice made in the lab is no small feat and for me it was no longer one I wanted to continue. I think as great as all of that is, the best is that it is no longer grant funded. You have no idea the stability and comfort I now feel and how absolutely grateful I am for those two things.

As of my last post I had promised a post on the finished product in my bathroom but honestly I feel quite superficial writing about a silly bathroom when so much has happened. I still need to take the pictures, maybe I'll do that tonight being as I have free evenings and I leave work early.

Amor & DIY

I am behind in my goals, feeling like I keep on falling behind but not so. I have actually accomplished quite a bit this year already. Truthfully I have done more than can be expected but always the perfectionist nothing is done to my liking. Anyway that is the current state of affairs, a feeling of lagging but when analyzed not so bad.

The garden is a slow go and right now a little difficult because it's been crazy weather. Freezing threats prevent me from fully believing I can put seedlings out. Some of my seeds are not cooperating and that is irksome. Otherwise it's been pretty good. I also managed to kill my rosemary. It had survived this long and then last month I thought hey let me clean up it's base. Next thing I know we had a frost and the roots were not as protected as they had been and it died. I checked the branches by pruning and it is dry as bone :( I was sad. I will go look for one this weekend, I really like rosemary and this time I will not trust warm weather!

Portulaca grandiflora

This past weekend we had a bachelorette party for a friend (guess who was volunteered to plan it?) and it was tons of fun. I had to recover on Sunday. All. Day. Sunday. I know, I know, it was also Easter but we have discussed the not so religious thing. I did go to an Easter BBQ if that counts, I know it doesn't. Anyway as a gift to all the guests, I turned some mugs into planters and put Portulaca into them! I know Portulaca does not sound good at all but let me translate for  you. My mother calls it Amor, (aka Love) and in some places here in the USA it's called Moss Rose. It's quite beautiful. It requires full sun and very little water. It produces tons of seeds so I would not recommend that it be put in the ground, keep it contained. It is a relative of common purslane, bane of my life but it is much prettier in my opinion. At the actual party the seeds were only just starting to sprout but I'm sure that if everybody takes care of it, it will do quite well. I thought it was fitting to give out a plant that is called Love :) As for the mugs I also did a little special thing there. I drilled holes in the bottoms so that it would drain properly and then I marbled them!

mycraftyspot.com

It's a simple process really. In a bowl or any container you don't mind ruining you place some warm water, not boiling just warm. Drop in a few drops of nail polish - multiple colors or one single color - and quickly dunk your mug into the area where the nail polish has spread. This is a quick process because the nail polish will begin to either dry and create a film or bead up and sink to the bottom. Using glittery nail polish is a pain, you need more than a couple of drops and it has to be layered on top of other colors or bottom, as long as that is the last polish you add to the water. Otherwise have fun with this! Also once you drop in dark colors if you don't do enough of the color it will thin out and be a very pale version of what's in the bottle. Put it somewhere to dry and in an hour or two you have a marbled mug. It is not dishwasher safe, the polish will come off in there. Also do not scrub very hard, use a soft sponge because you can rub it off with a brillo pad.

I hope everyone had a great weekend!

Holding Hands

Recently I had a conversation with someone regarding lies. Everybody lies, at least a little. I'm not talking about huge whoppers such as "I am not married! I swear!", as they try to hide their wedding band tan lines or lying about your name because you don't want to give that annoying guy your real name, who knows he may be a stalker. I'm talking about little lies like, yeah I like sushi or yes I think that sweater is nice. Sometimes it's in order to be nice and not hurt someones feelings, other times it's because we want something in common with the other person. Usually this happens when you meet someone you would like to date and those lies usually involve saying you like sports or camping.

Age difference not this big :)

Back to the conversation. I have recently explored online dating and I met someone, rather quickly may I add. I was pleasantly surprised at first and then later disappointed. It was an interesting interaction and in the end a bust but lets talk about the inbetween. I noticed that he was younger than me, but I thought what the hell I haven't found someone my age so why not. The why not lasted 3 weeks, almost 4 weeks and I was surprised it lasted that long. The more I talked to this person, the more I realized that we were so not on the same page! Now what of the lies? Well, he omitted a very important detail I thought. Turns out he was much younger than he had posted on his profile and although  I wasn't particularly angry, I felt it merited an apology. Other than the fact that I have no desire to live through that phase of my younger years again with him, it was a lie. His defense? I didn't ask, oh, it wasn't a lie he just omitted the info. In my experience it's called a lie of omission. He was also pushing for shared living quarters and after 3 weeks that was not going to be on the table. Period. I decided and my answer was no, that no effectively ended things.

I also realized that I <3 me very much, I'm no longer looking to please men/potential partners. I'm checking to see if you please me, perhaps that's an age thing. The reality of it is that I hadn't realized how sure I am of myself until I dated a younger guy! I'm not saying I want someone who is perfect in every way, just someone who has balance in good and bad. Your laugh or the warmth of your hug will outweigh the fact that you love pickled onions or pickled garlic or that you are more conservative/liberal than I am. There is a balance that I want in a relationship that I knew was not going to be had with this younger guy.

Having said all of that, would I date a younger guy again? Yes. Not that young but yes. Age is a number, a lot of living can be packed into a few years and very little living can be packed into many years. The age differences aside (significant) what's your take on lies of omission? What constitutes a lie of omission? Perhaps to someone else the omission wasn't too bad but to me that omission made me question whether there were other "omissions" that would later come to light; seemed like a bad start to... anything. 

Judging Since 1979

Hello all! Sorry for the lack of posting but writers block and the World Cup have interrupted my writing time. As I write this I am watching the USA vs. Belgium game, with 12 minutes in I hope that I win this game! By I hope I win, I mean that the game ends with a 1-0 score USA vs. BEL because if they don't finish like that my bracket is screwed. Please forgive any grammar mistakes (well the increase in mistakes) and any misspelled words. My attention is divided at the moment.

Besides the World Cup and the writers block, I have also been working with a political campaign. I am on team Wendy Davis! This summer I am volunteering, doing lots of block walks, and lots of phone banks. I started at the beginning of June and have wondered a few times since then, "What the hell did I get myself into?!" but it's this or sit at home on my ass. I have a lot of projects planned for my yard but they have moved along rather slowly due to my other activities.

Now let me dispel some misconceptions about my future governor (I'm being optimistic),  no official position on abortion, had a child while she was in HS, and is not an abortion barbie. The media is focusing on the filibuster she did last year because it protected funding  for women's clinics that also offered abortions. The bill essentially closed down all of the health clinics that focused on women's healthcare because their physicians were not affiliated to a hospital that was certified to perform the procedure (abortions). The certification from a committee on which Rick Perry's sister sits and it costs a pretty penny to obtain said certification. Anyway, Davis felt that the clinics funding was relevant as they provide other services at a graded pricing based on a woman's income. Your PAP tests, mammograms, birth control, and obstetric services for those women having children but can't afford insurance. My personal philosophy is if you don't believe in abortions, then don't have one. If you feel birth control is bad, don't take it. If you feel those who participate/believe in the aforementioned, then don't be friends with them. I don't tell you you're going to hell, when you post drunk party pictures on Saturday night and church pictures on Sunday. I judge you but not from behind God, I just judge you.  Yes, independent judging since 1979. Pretty sure I judged even as a child.

Well that has been bothering me for a while now, especially after yesterday. The Supreme Court has allowed 2 corporation to discriminate against women based on what type of birth control they choose to use. If you are on the pill, which is more likely to cause a miscarriage than any otehr type of birth control, they still pay. If you want an IUD or wish to use the morning after pill - DENIED. FYI the morning after pill does not cause an abortion, if not taken within 48 hours it permits fertilization of the oocyte but taken within 24 to 48 hours of unprotected intercourse simply prevents sperm from reaching the egg (explanation a little over-simplified). Although you should be re-evaluating your priorities if you are having unprotected sex.

OK off the soap box and the game is 0-0 still. GO USA!